Revolutionizing cell adhesion in bioreactors and beyond
MIT researchers have unveiled a scalable, high-throughput method to detach cells from surfaces on demand using electrochemically generated bubbles. Published in Science Advances, the approach could dramatically reduce downtime and waste across industries that rely on cell cultures, including algae bioreactors for carbon capture, pharmaceutical manufacturing, biofuels, biosensors, implants, and the food and beverage sector.
The core idea is simple in principle: generate tiny bubbles at a surface to create a local shear force that releases cells without damaging them or requiring harsh chemicals. The innovation, however, lies in how and where the bubbles are formed and how they are kept from causing collateral damage in delicate cell cultures.
The challenge of stickiness across industries
Cell adhesion to surfaces is a universal bottleneck. In photobioreactors—used to cultivate algae that absorb CO2 at remarkably high rates—surface fouling from adhered cells blocks light and reduces productivity. Cleaning these systems can necessitate shutdowns as often as every two weeks, a costly and energy-intensive process. Similar adhesion problems slow pharmaceutical cell culture, biosensor performance, and even some food-processing operations.
Traditional detachment methods, particularly enzymatic treatments, risk harming cells, generating substantial waste, and consuming costly reagents. The MIT team sought a non-enzymatic, scalable method that could be plug-and-play across platforms while preserving cell viability.
How the bubble-based detachment works
The researchers engineered a compact device: a small, transparent glass surface with a gated gold electrode beneath a selective proton-permeable membrane. When a controlled electrical current passes through, water electrolysis generates bubbles at the electrode. By physically separating the electrode from the main culture chamber with the membrane, the design avoids producing bleach, a common and damaging byproduct when salt-containing media are used in electrochemical processes.
As bubbles form at the surface, they create local fluid flow and shear that detach cells from the substrate. The team demonstrated that increasing current density yields more bubbles and more efficient detachment. Crucially, the method preserved cell viability across diverse cell types, including algae, ovarian cancer cells, and bone-derived cells, signifying broad applicability.
Evidence from multiple cell types and surfaces
In experiments, researchers allowed cells to adhere to light-permeable surfaces and then applied a voltage to trigger bubble formation. The attached cells were released without noticeable harm. The team also developed a predictive model to estimate the required current for detachment across different settings, and they validated it with algae and mammalian cells alike. Even cancer- and bone-derived cells remained viable post-detachment, underscoring the technique’s potential in delicate bioprocesses.
Scaling the technology for industry
Varanasi and colleagues envision a future where electrode modules can be robotically moved from culture plate to culture plate to detach cells as needed, or the approach could be integrated into algal harvesting systems. Unlike chemical cleaners or enzymatic methods, this physical detachment mechanism offers a system-agnostic solution with broad reach, potentially cutting fouling, downtime, and waste in many processes.
“If we can keep these systems running without fouling and other problems, then we can make them much more economical,” says Kripa Varanasi. “It’s a scalable, plug-and-play approach that doesn’t rely on any specific chemical treatments.”
Looking ahead, the team acknowledges that significant work remains to translate the concept into industrial-scale reactors. Yet the method aligns with the urgent need to capture CO2 more affordably via photobioreactors, while also improving cell culture efficiency in pharmaceuticals and related fields. The research was supported by the MIT Energy Initiative, the Belgian American Educational Foundation, and the Maria Zambrano Fellowship, among others.
